# GPA Calculator

> GPA = total grade points ÷ total credits on a 4.0 scale: an A- and a B in 3-credit classes plus a B+ and an A in 4-credit classes give 49.3 ÷ 14 = 3.52, or 3.95 weighted when the B+ is honors (+0.5) and the A is AP (+1.0). Add your current GPA and credits to get your new cumulative GPA.

- Interactive calculator: https://calculatorswithsteps.com/gpa-calculator
- Category: Education & Grade Calculators
- Last updated: 2026-11-10
- Publisher: Calculators With Steps (calculatorswithsteps.com)

## How to use the GPA calculator

1. For each course, choose the **letter grade** and enter the **credits** (or credit hours). The course name is optional.
2. Set the **type**: Regular, Honors or AP / IB. This only changes the weighted GPA.
3. Use **+ Add course** for more rows and the ✕ button to remove one. Rows without credits are skipped.
4. To get a **cumulative GPA**, enter your current GPA and the credits it covers, and say whether that GPA is weighted.

The result updates as you type. It shows your unweighted and weighted GPA, total credits, quality points, a course-by-course table and the working.

## How GPA is calculated

GPA is a credit-weighted average of grade points:

**GPA = Σ (grade points × credits) ÷ Σ credits**

The product of grade points and credits is called quality points. This calculator uses the standard 4.0 scale with plus and minus grades:

| Grade | Points | Grade | Points | Grade | Points |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A+ | 4.0 | B | 3.0 | D+ | 1.3 |
| A | 4.0 | B- | 2.7 | D | 1.0 |
| A- | 3.7 | C+ | 2.3 | D- | 0.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 | C | 2.0 | F | 0.0 |
| | | C- | 1.7 | | |

## Worked example

| Course | Grade | Credits | Points | Weighted |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | A- | 3 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Algebra II (honors) | B+ | 4 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
| AP Biology (AP) | A | 4 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| US History | B | 3 | 3.0 | 3.0 |

Unweighted quality points are 3.7 × 3 + 3.3 × 4 + 4.0 × 4 + 3.0 × 3 = 49.3. Divided by 14 credits, that is a **3.52 GPA**. With the honors and AP boosts the weighted quality points are 55.3, and 55.3 ÷ 14 = **3.95 weighted GPA**.

Notice that the 4-credit classes pull harder than the 3-credit ones. A B+ in a 4-credit class costs more than a B in a 3-credit class.

## Weighted vs unweighted GPA

An unweighted GPA caps at 4.0 and treats an A in any class the same. A weighted GPA rewards harder classes. Common systems add 0.5 points for honors (an A becomes 4.5) and 1.0 for AP or IB (an A becomes 5.0). This calculator follows that convention and does not add a bonus to an F.

Schools vary. Denver Public Schools, for example, gives 5.2 for an A in honors and AP classes, and some schools add a third of a grade point instead, turning a B into a B+. Colleges also often recalculate GPAs their own way, for example by removing weighting or dropping non-core subjects. Report the GPA your transcript shows, and use this tool to plan and check.

## Calculating cumulative GPA

Your cumulative GPA combines every term. You don't need all your old grades, only your current GPA and the credits it covers:

**New cumulative GPA = (current GPA × credits so far + this term's quality points) ÷ (credits so far + this term's credits)**

With a 3.40 GPA over 30 credits, previous quality points are 3.40 × 30 = 102. Add this term's 49.3 points and divide by 44 credits to get **3.44**. The GPA rose by 0.04 because this term's 3.52 was above the old average.

## How much can one semester move your GPA?

The more credits you have, the harder your GPA is to shift. With 60 credits at a 3.00, a 15-credit semester of straight A's brings you to 3.20. Early terms matter most, and so do high-credit courses. If your school replaces a retaken course's grade, retaking an F in a 3-credit course can help more than an A in a 1-credit elective.

## GPA, CGPA and percentages

US schools use the 4.0 GPA scale. Indian universities usually report SGPA (one semester) and CGPA (cumulative) on a 10-point scale, worked out with the same credit-weighted formula. To convert a CGPA to a percentage, use the [CGPA to percentage calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/cgpa-to-percentage-calculator). For marks out of a total, the [marks percentage calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/marks-percentage-calculator) is quicker. To see the grade you are heading for in one class, try the [grade calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/grade-calculator), and to see what you need on an exam, the [final grade calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/final-grade-calculator).

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I calculate my GPA?

Multiply each course's grade points by its credits, add the results, and divide by the total credits. If all classes carry the same credit, it is a simple average: three A's, one B and one C give (4 + 4 + 4 + 3 + 2) ÷ 5 = 3.4.

### What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?

An unweighted GPA treats every class the same on a 0 to 4.0 scale. A weighted GPA adds extra points for harder classes, commonly 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP or IB, so it can go above 4.0. In the example on this page the same grades give 3.52 unweighted and 3.95 weighted.

### Does an A+ count as 4.3?

On this calculator, as at most US high schools and many colleges, an A+ counts as 4.0, the same as an A. Some colleges award 4.33 for an A+, so check your school's scale.

### How do I calculate my cumulative GPA with my current GPA?

Multiply your current GPA by the credits it covers, add this term's quality points and divide by the combined credits. A 3.40 GPA over 30 credits plus a 3.52 term over 14 credits gives (102 + 49.3) ÷ 44 = 3.44.

### Do failed classes count in GPA?

Yes. An F is worth 0 points, but its credits still count, so it pulls the average down. Adding a 3-credit F to the example courses lowers the unweighted GPA from 3.52 to 2.90.

### Is a 3.5 GPA good?

College Board puts the average GPA at about 3.0 for US high schools and 3.1 for US colleges, so a 3.5 is well above average. Selective programs set their own expectations.

### How do I raise my GPA?

Earn high grades in courses with more credits, since they carry more weight. Each new credit matters less as your total grows: with 60 credits at a 3.00, a 15-credit semester of straight A's lifts your GPA to 3.20.

### How do Indian students calculate GPA?

Indian universities usually report SGPA and CGPA on a 10-point scale, using the same credit-weighted average. To turn a CGPA into a percentage, use the CGPA to percentage calculator and follow your university's own formula.

## Sources

- [College Board BigFuture – How to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale](https://pages.collegeboard.org/how-to-convert-gpa-4.0-scale)
- [Wikipedia – Academic grading in the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_the_United_States)
- [Wikipedia – Grade point average](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_point_average)